Prince Interview: When Rhiannon Met Harry
With no cause or charity to promote, Prince Harry spoke candidly about being at a crossroads in life, says Sky's Rhiannon Mills.
Monday 11 May 2015 13:18, UK
Looking relaxed in a casual blue shirt and jeans, Prince Harry seemed at ease as we met just after breakfast for an interview on the balcony of a hilltop bungalow.
Being on remote Stewart Island had clearly put him in a good mood. Like most of the media team following him, he'd been out early to take a photo of the stunning red sunrise.
He'd been able to walk around largely unbothered by the locals and even went to the pub the night before, his team doing well in the pub quiz, egged on by the British landlady.
Just minutes before the interview a native parrot swooped in. The prince, his team and myself all feeding it apple, fascinated by the fact that it left the skins.
Prince Harry is a 30-year-old man who knows he is at a crossroads in his life, with the end of his career in the armed forces looming.
While he wasn't going to share his shortlist of potential career options, he is clear that he needs to do something. He never wants to be referred to as a "party prince" and wants a proper job that brings with it a salary.
This isn't just to satisfy his family, or the public but, as he put it, to keep himself sane.
In just the first couple of days in New Zealand, Harry's rapport with children has been obvious to see - from charming a nervous little girl, no more than three years old, by asking about her princess dress, to answering questions from local school kids like, "Do you have a palace?" and "How come your grandad isn't a King?"
So I wasn't surprised when he told me he would love to have kids. I think his press team were pleased he stopped short of explaining the "process you have to go through" to get to that point, but we all knew what he meant.
Of course as a member of the Royal Family, life will never be completely normal, but, whether it is changing careers or relationship dilemmas, Prince Harry has shown he still faces times of uncertainty just like the rest of us.
Opening up can't always be easy for a Prince, and candid interviews like this are rare. There was no cause or charity to promote, this was all about him.